Alien vs. Predator (USA 940520)

Alien vs. Predator arcade is Capcom's 1994 side-scrolling beat 'em up for the CPS-2 arcade system, distinct from the same-year Atari Jaguar first-person shooter and the earlier Super NES game. The USA 940520 set is the North American revision dated May 20, 1994. Capcom built this coin-op entry around the Alien and Predator crossover, sending a small alliance of Colonial Marines and Predators into a city overwhelmed by Xenomorphs.

A cabinet can support as many as three simultaneous players. Before the action begins, players select from Major Dutch Schaefer, Lieutenant Linn Kurosawa, the Predator Hunter, and the Predator Warrior. Their abilities give the co-operative brawl different rhythms: Dutch is the hard-hitting human combatant with a cybernetic arm and mounted gun, Linn combines speed with a katana and handgun, while the two Predators bring long-reach bladed weapons and shoulder-mounted firepower.

Alien vs. Predator uses an eight-way joystick with separate attack, jump, and shot buttons. Standard enemies are dispatched with punches, weapon strikes, throws, aerial attacks, and character-specific combinations, while a limited-ammunition ranged weapon offers a way to control crowds from a distance. Ammunition recharges rather than being supplied as a permanent resource, and the four fighters replenish it in different ways. Dropped grenade launchers and flamethrowers add temporary firepower, while food, medicine, and score items reward players who clear the scrolling stages thoroughly.

The story opens in San Drad, California, where Dutch and Linn are trapped during an Alien outbreak until the two Predators intervene. The unlikely team fights through infested city areas and military locations, facing drones, other hostile creatures, armed human opponents, and major bosses. Their campaign leads to an Alien hive and a rogue military operation connected to Weyland-Yutani, turning the arcade journey into a self-contained science-fiction adventure rather than an adaptation of a particular film.

Capcom's CPS-2 hardware lets the game fill its widescreen-style playfields with large animated figures and numerous enemies, while the three-player format keeps the focus on shared arcade progress. The cast also makes this version unusual within the franchise: Dutch is an original game interpretation of the Predator film character, Linn is a Capcom-created marine, and both Predator characters are playable instead of serving only as antagonists. Each route follows the same central crisis but feels different through the chosen fighter's reach, mobility, weapon, and shooting behavior.

Released during Capcom's run of arcade action games, Alien vs. Predator stands apart as an officially licensed CPS-2 beat 'em up that was not issued as a conventional home-console port in its original era. It later appeared on Capcom Home Arcade, preserving the arcade game as part of that dedicated hardware collection. For players exploring 1990s Capcom arcade design, this is a focused three-player brawler built around character selection, close-quarters combat, recoverable ranged attacks, and the rare premise of humans and Predators fighting the same Xenomorph threat.